Alternative High School Programs Point Toward Success

Rising college costs, increasing college debt, and the fact that many teenagers do not graduate from high school college-ready, puts college out-of-reach of more and more students.
Add to that mix that 25 percent of U.
S.

students drop out before graduating high school and it seems as if higher education is becoming too exclusive for many students.

While all aspects of education should be considered when trying to find ways to make college more attainable, a good place to begin is in the high school curriculum. Many parents will attest that the standard school curriculum does not work for many students.
Teenagers report that they find no connection between what they are supposed to learn in the classroom and the real world. Such a connection is needed to motivate young people to succeed in school and the work world they will encounter.
So it is always encouraging to hear about an outstanding post-high school opportunity offered to students.
For example, a program offered through the Poudre School District in Fort Collins, Colorado, resulted in six students receiving an offer for a paid internship with a local engineering firm.
That firm will pay for tuition, fees, and books at the local community college for two years while the students work part time for the company. There is even the possibility that after two years, the company will reevaluate the students' grades and work and offer more toward a four-year degree.

The Poudre School District program is known as PaCE, or the Professional and Community Experience.

High school juniors and seniors that sign up for PaCE gain work skills and career experience with local businesses while attending school, and they attend weekly seminars during which they may visit businesses.
It was at such a visit that the six students learned about the internship offered by the company.

While program such as PaCE offer attractive alternatives for teenagers, not all schools offer such opportunities and even when they do, parents are sometimes unaware that such programs exist.
It is important that parents evaluate their student's abilities and readiness for college or for whatever that student will pursue beyond high school.
If those teenagers are lacking skills, then parents need to find out exactly what alternative programs exist in their school districts.
Ask your student's school counselor about alternative programs. One good place to check is with community colleges in your area-many offer duel programs that allow high school students to work toward an associate's degree while attending high school. Alternatives to standard high school curriculum are popping up all over the United States.
One example is New Tech schools, schools that offer "project-based learning, in which learning is contextual, creative, and shared." The use of technology is stressed and students collaborate on projects that require critical thinking and communication. There are 85 New Tech schools across the United States.
High schools need programs that give teenagers more opportunity to apply what they are learning to their world.
Such programs will produce young adults ready to succeed in college, the work place, or whatever they pursue after college.